San Francisco Bus Tour: My English-Style Double-Decker Bus Experience

San Francisco is one of the world’s top destinations for good reason. On one hand, its location is amazing. Surrounded by water, mountains, and an ever-changing landscape, it’s no wonder people love this place.

I was recently lucky enough to take a bus tour of San Francisco in an open English-style double-decker bus with the City Sightseeing service. Once I got on, I knew I was in for a ride. The tour guide Suzanne was excellent. I recommend taking her tours if possible. She made me laugh so much that I cried.

I went on the downtown loop tour as well as the Golden Gate loop tour. Of these two San Francisco bus tours, I recommend taking the Golden Gate Circle Tour. The tour bus takes you across the Golden Gate Bridge, stopping at an overlook that allows you to take photos of the bridge. It also passes Presidio and homes costing millions before returning to Fishermans’ Wharf.

On the other San Francisco bus tour I took, the downtown loop offered great flexibility because it made a lot of stops and you could hop on and off wherever you wanted. Buses run every thirty minutes, making it easy to get around the city. Parking and driving in San Francisco is a mess, so it was nice to have someone else to give me a ride. The driver made stops at Chinatown, Union Square, the Civic Center, the Ferry Building, Lombard St. Fishermans’ Wharf, and the SOMA district.

Be sure to stop and check out Lombard St. This is the curviest street I’ve ever seen. and people drive just for fun. None of the San Francisco buses can drive through it, but will stop on the side of the road so you can see it on your own.

Another place worth stopping at is Chinatown. According to our guide, it is the largest Chinatown in the world. The streets are lined with open-air markets and Chinese restaurants.

Another district I went to was North Beach, the Italian district. I stopped at Pinocchio’s for a nice Italian meal with the family. If you like Italian food, this area has a lot to choose from.

I recommend purchasing your tickets online rather than at the City Sightseeing office. I was able to save at least 3 bucks on each ticket by buying them ahead of time online.

I highly recommend taking a San Francisco bus tour to get a great overview of the city and learn about its history.